Jeff Culbreath, who shares many of my beliefs and no few of my goals for family, has been my opponent on our series of culture discussions. In a recent post I’ve just had time to read through today, he nails something down that is fundamentally important, and which I think is perhaps the strongest argument [...]

Filed under: A Writer's Life For Me, Culture Wars | 14 Comments »

Just in case she realizes that she said it, and takes it down, I thought I’d make a record of it here.
In all seriousness, in her meandering post (and I’m nobody to criticize on that count) she takes a crack at some of the really important questions we’ve been discussing. Because I generally agree with [...]

Filed under: Catholicism, Culture Wars, Death of the West | 3 Comments »

While we’re on the topic:
A San Francisco city and county board resolution that officially labeled the Catholic church’s moral teachings on homosexuality as “insulting to all San Franciscans,” “hateful,” “defamatory,” “insensitive” and “ignorant” will be challenged tomorrow in court for violating the Constitution’s prohibition of government hostility toward religion.
[snip]
Since no law was enacted, she ruled, [...]

Filed under: Culture Wars, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

Last night, a friend and I were discussing the death of Tony Snow. Acknowledging the fact that Snow was a Catholic, as was Tim Russert, my friend asked, “Don’t you feel like there are more and more Catholics in public life, even if not all of them are exemplary Catholics?”
I’m not sure how to answer [...]

Filed under: Culture Wars | 9 Comments »

Ok, so the title of this post is over-wrought, and not even really what I mean to say. But it was all I could think of, and it struck me funny.
Recently, Hilary sent me an article in which she highlighted a section relevant to our discussion of those who, out of a rejection of the [...]

Filed under: Catholicism, Chesterton, Culture Wars | 2 Comments »

…via e-mail, on the culture debate. Specifically, he references my Newman-heavy post:
It’s hard to argue with Cardinal Newman. :)  But, a few quick (ADHD) points anyway:
1.  Of course, the family state is different; however, there’s that “universal call to holiness” mandate.  One shouldn’t become a hothouse flower, but pearl diving in sewers isn’t good for [...]

Filed under: Catholicism, Culture Wars | 2 Comments »

Continuing our look at the proper Catholic response (if there is an objectively proper response; this may in fact not be so) to the modern world, I’d like to look at the problem with cliques. Last night, I finished my old professor Dr. Regis Martin’s rather brief What Is The Church in time to pick [...]

Filed under: Catholicism, Culture Wars | No Comments »

As a writer, struggling to synthesize my Catholic identity with my desire to write believable fiction, I’ve long been a fan of the following quote from the Venerable Cardinal John Henry Newman: “It is a contradiction in terms to attempt a sinless literature about a sinful man.”
I haven’t ever read any Newman, though, so I [...]

Filed under: Culture Wars | 2 Comments »